A night at the hotel
by ylemon
Summary: A short story about Tommy and Barbara having to share a room. A worn out theme but a bit of romance never hurts.
1. Chapter 1

Authors' note: For the moment this is a complete story but a sequel can't be ruled out.

* * *

'This is unacceptable!'

'I tell you it's the last time I travel by coach!'

'I can't believe they can't send another coach to pick us here.'

'I need a room: I'm soaked and cold!'

'We're all soaked and cold!'

The scene in front of the reception desk at the small hotel lost in the English countryside was chaotic. A night coach on its way to London had suffered a major mechanical failure on a minor road, and its fifty passengers had been told no assistance could be expected before the next morning. The stranded passengers had been kindly but firmly requested to walk to the nearest town, which was no more than a country hamlet, to try and find an accommodation by themselves. The two-mile journey on a deserted road at night had been bad enough already but to cap it all the rain had started to fall before the troop had reached the only hotel of the town. So when the night clerk had informed them that the hotel didn't have enough rooms to accommodate everyone things had become ugly. A fight had even erupted between two fathers over the only three-bed bedroom.

'I'm sorry there's only one room left. Double bed…'

'We take it!'

'Sir!'

'Havers, you'll sleep on the floor if you will but we take this room.'

Ignoring the protests and complaints of the other passengers DI Thomas Lynley checked himself and his colleague, DS Barbara Havers, in.

The two police officers took the lift to the third floor where their room was. It was a small bedroom in the attic modestly furnished with a double-bed and its associated nightstand, a desk with the usual courtesy tray and a chair, and a small TV hung on the wall opposite the bed. The walls were an ugly dark green and the carpet wasn't more appealing but everything was clean. Lynley went to check the bathroom and heaved a sigh of relief at the view of the shower: at least Barbara wouldn't have him sleep in the bathtub. He went back to the bedroom to unpack and found his partner frowning at him.

'What's wrong, Sergeant? This room is very nice, well, nicer than the ones we left this morning.'

'Don't you think there are people who need this room more than us?'

'Who? All the families have a bedroom, maybe not the one they wanted but all the children will sleep in a bed tonight.'

'We're not the oldest ones.'

'No, we're not and I'm happy the two old ladies who shared their shortbreads with all the passengers have been settled.'

'And the old man with the cane?'

'You mean the one who kept complaining about everything and everyone, who didn't want to change seat to allow that mother and her little girl to sit together and then complained about the child being restless? Strangely enough I don't feel sorry for him.'

'Still…'

'Stop it, Havers. It's nearly midnight; we should be in our own beds by that time were it not for that rail strike that left us without a train back to London. I don't have to tell you I didn't look forward to spending the night crammed in a coach seat without enough space to spread my legs but I grinned and bore it. But my patience and good will reached their limits with that little walk under the rain. I'm tired, I'm hungry, I'm soaked to the skin and my new shoes have ripped the skin from my feet before being irremediably destroyed by the water, so if you feel too guilty to stay, fine, go downstairs and try and find yourself a comfortable place to spend the night. I'm not leaving this room.'

And to show he meant it he sat heavily onto the bed and started to unlace his shoes.

'Don't get on your high horse.'

'Can't you just admit you're happy you'll sleep in a bed tonight and not on a sofa or in an armchair?'

'All right, I'm happy I'll sleep in a bed tonight. Where will you sleep?'

'I've no preference; tell me which side you want; I'll take the other.'

'Which side I …You're not saying we're going to share the bed, are you?'

'Why not?'

'You're not serious,' she replied and she went to have a look at the bathroom. 'Damn! A shower.'

On the bed, Tommy laughed.

'Do you want to use the bathroom first?' he asked mischievously.

Barbara came back and gave him an angry glare.

'I'm not sleeping with you.'

'Fine, I'll have the bed all for myself.'

He opened his suitcase and retrieved his pyjamas and his washbag. With them in hand he headed for the bathroom telling Barbara as he passed near her:

'When you go out, would you please hang the "Do not disturb" sign at the door handle?'

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He took his time in the shower, enjoying the hot water on his tired body. He dried his hair, brushed his teeth and put on his pyjamas. When he emerged from the bathroom after twenty-five minutes, Barbara was sitting legs crossed on the bed, in pink pyjamas adorned with grinning cows with oversized heads. She swiftly got up and hurried past him.

'About time,' she said as she closed the door of the bathroom behind her.

Tommy went to bed. He could hear Barbara in the bathroom. The sounds were familiar and they brought back memories of his life with Helen. He imagined Barbara's every move from the noise she was making and knew when she took off her pyjamas. He stopped his little game immediately not because it was what a gentleman would do but because he was afraid his thoughts would carry him too far. He heard Barbara struggle with the door of the shower and soon he fell asleep to the sound of the water.

The shower relieved some of the tension Barbara felt but her level of stress rose again when she stepped out of the bathroom. Lynley was already in bed and judging from his regular breathing he was already sleeping. _At least he doesn't snore_ , she thought. But at that very moment Lynley moved in his sleep and started snoring lightly. _At least he doesn't snore too loudly_ , Barbara sighed. The frenzy of the day had taken its toll on his face, the fine lines on his forehead and on the corner of his eyes seemed deeper but he was still the most handsome man Barbara had ever met. She knew his face almost as well as hers after years of partnership but since then she only had glanced at him furtively, not wanting to be perceived as rude or intruding. Now she could take her time and detail his every feature: the thick mop of hair that tended to wave lightly when growing long, the heavy brows, the straight nose, and the high cheekbones. She let her eyes follow the line of his jaws and paused upon his lips where a smile lingered on. Barbara's heart melted. _A penny for your thoughts, Sir. Who are you dreaming of?_ She indulged her gazing for a while but finally a yawn bigger than the others reminded her of the time of the night. There was no point in delaying the inescapable: save sleeping on the floor – and the carpet looked too thin to be comfortable – she'd have to lie next to Lynley. With infinity of precautions not to awake him, she slipped between the sheets. Turning her back to him she came as close to the edge of the mattress as she could without falling. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she felt very tense. Though their bodies didn't touch she was acutely aware of Lynley's presence next to her: she felt his warmth radiating in her back and smelled the delicate fragrance of his shower gel. She dug her nose in her pillow in an attempt to block the scent but she couldn't breathe and had to stop. When Tommy moved in his sleep and turned towards her her heart missed a beat. For a second she thought he was going to put his arm around her but no, he merely grabbed his pillow in a tight embrace, and to Barbara's displeasure she didn't feel relieved but hurt. That boor preferred his pillow over the touch of a woman! This was a bit humiliating but could she hold him responsible for what he did while asleep? Besides she didn't want him to touch her, did she? So why wasn't she happy?

She knew perfectly well the logical answer to those questions but she wasn't ready to accept it. Instead she curled up on her side and, after a split second of hesitation, switched off the light.

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The first thing Tommy noticed on the following morning was the light. Even with his eyes closed he was aware of the light that pierced the curtains of the bedroom. His mind still clouded with sleep, he lazily opened one eye and shut it again immediately. The events of the previous night came back into his memory. He was now fully awake. Slowly he opened his eyes again. On the pillow next to his, just inched from his face, Barbara Havers was sleeping peacefully. Gone was the grumpy, ever-frowning sergeant. Her face was serene. He couldn't remember ever seeing her like that and he wanted to imprint that image forever on his memory. She had never been so beautiful. Once more he wished she took more care of herself. He knew her complete lack of interest for grooming was part of her charm and that her ill-fitted clothes and bad haircut were provocations thrown in the face of the right-thinking people but she deserved so much better than the scornful looks and sneering smiles she drew. That wasn't obvious but she _was_ beautiful. He had started to notice it lately and still felt stupid it had taken him so long but now that his eyes were open it struck it every day how beautiful she was.

He didn't dare move his body closer to hers but he wished he could. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Her late night shower had washed away her tobacco-laden scent and had replaced it with an almond-and-milk one. She smelled good. Tommy wished they could stay together in that bed forever. He had not felt so good for ages. He reckoned it was due to the fact that he'd woken up next to the woman he deeply cared about. One day he would have to tell her what he was feeling for her. He should already have told her but it was never the right moment. _Like there's anything called 'the right moment'_ , he bitterly told himself. Delaying his declaration was a mistake, he knew it, it only kept him in the dark as to Barbara's feelings for him, and it wasn't like him. Usually he wasn't shy to tell a woman he loved her; actually in all his previous relationship he had made the first step. What was so different with Barbara? Outside the sun was rising and the light encircled Barbara's head with a halo.

'You're an angel, Barbara. You're my beautiful angel,' Tommy whispered.

Barbara stirred in her sleep and a strand of hair fell on her eye. Delicately Lynley put it back behind her ear and that's when she woke up. Seeing him so close, she startled and jerked upright. _When did I move so close to him?_ she asked herself. _Did I spend the night like that?_

'I'm sorry, Barbara, you had an…er…a fly on your face.'

'Oh, uh, ta.'

'You slept well?'

'You snore. _'_ She wasn't going to tell him she'd never slept so well. 'You?'

'The mattress is too soft; my lower back hurts like hell.' _But I don't want to get up,_ Tommy added _inwardly, I want to stay here with you till the end of times._

'Don't blame the mattress, Sir, blame your age,' Barbara replied with a lopsided smile.

Before Tommy could retort, three loud knocks on the door were heard.

'Yes?' Lynley shouted, somewhat annoyed about the interruption.

'It's the driver, Sir, the company's sending another coach to pick everybody at the hotel. It'll be here in about 45 minutes. Breakfast is being served at the moment if you want to have a bite before we leave.'

'Thank you. We'll be downstairs in a moment.'

Tommy put his head back on the pillow and sighed:

'We've 45 minutes to get ready and have breakfast.'

'We should be moving then, 'Barbara replied without moving.

'Yes, we should,' Tommy concurred, lying still.

For a few more seconds neither of them moved, conscious they were living a rare and precious moment that would be lost the moment they got up.

Finally, Tommy took a decision:

'Barbara, perhaps we could...'

'Move?' Barbara pushed back the blanket. 'Good idea.'

And without giving Lynley a chance to protest she rushed into the bathroom.

Five minutes later she came out, still brushing energetically her teeth. She pointed an accusing toothbrush at Tommy who was still in bed.

'I tell you I won't wait for you. If you're not ready when the coach arrives, I'll leave you here all alone.'

Lynley could only laughed at the sight of his partner, in her pink pyjamas, spitting toothpaste as she spoke.

'Come on, Sir, time to rise and shine!'

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An hour later, they were seated at the front of a coach heading towards London. Barbara was working on her notes, organizing them in a coherent and concise report. Tommy was studying the patterns the raindrops were drawing on the windows of the coach.

'Sir?'

Barbara's voice brought him out of his daydream.

'Mmmmh?'

'What will we say to the Super? You know how she scrutinizes the claim forms before approving them; she'll see we have a receipt for just one bedroom.'

Tommy saw her concern but he wasn't going to let the Superintendent spoil the memory of this night. He gave Barbara a reassuring smile and said:

'We'll tell her the truth, Havers, we've been forced to share a room and,' he winked at her,' you made me sleep in the bath.'


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: After the nice reviews I received for the first chapter I decided to write a second one; here it is. As you'll see it is a transition chapter so, yes, a third chapter is on its way. Thanks a lot for your support.

* * *

'You slept with Lynley ?!'

DS Winston Nkata almost spat out his tomato soup in the face of his colleague and friend DS Barbara Havers.

'Hush!'

Havers abruptly opened the door of the landing to check that no one was in the corridor. Satisfied that no one was overhearing them she went back to the landing where Winston was standing impatiently by the coffee-machine.

'Don't speak so loud; I don't want the whole Met to know.'

'All right, not the whole Met, but me certainly.'

'I didn't know you were so nosy.'

'My favorite OTP has finally crossed the line; I want to know everything and don't forget the details.'

'You sound like a fangirl. Where has the ex-gang member gone?' I wish I didn't tell you how we ended up stranded in that hotel.'

'Barb, I've been watching you and Lynley dance around each other for several years now. Even when Helen was still there, there was something special between you, some sort of alchemy. I'm happy you…'

'Hold your horses, Winnie! There's nothing of that sort between Lynley and me. We're colleagues, only colleagues.'

'Come on, Barb, who are you kidding? You're more than colleagues.'

'Alright, we're friends. Maybe.'

'Of course, you're friends! And you could be so much more if only one of you made that damn first step!'

'It's none of your business, Winnie. And besides, who tells you I, or he, want more?'

'Don't tell me you don't love him, Barb, I won't believe you.'

'I'm not the one for him; it's as simple as that.'

'Bollocks.'

'We're not from the same world.'

'Bollocks.'

'He needs someone classier...'

'Bollocks.

'…someone who knows how to behave at garden parties…'

'Bollocks.'

'…someone with a brilliant conversation…'

'Bollocks.'

'…someone he won't be ashamed of when they meet the Royals.'

'Bollocks, bollocks, bollockey-bollockfull bollocks.'

'Don't you listen to me?!' Barbara has run out of patience.

'Not when you're talking ….'

'If you say "Bollocks" one more time, I swear I throw you down these stairs,' she warned him icily.

'…nonsense.'

Winston grinned cheekily and Barbara threw him her darkest glance.

'Seriously, Barb, you gave me the list of the reasons why Lynley cannot want you, reasons you know absolutely nothing of, by the way, and not a single reason why you don't want him. I'm sure you're in love with him, don't protest,' he added quickly as he saw Barbara ready to cut him, 'and I'm sure none of your objections has ever crossed his mind. He's an earl, all right. He's rich, well-born, well-bred, well connected, you name it, I agree. Does this matter to him? No, definitely no. And before we go back to work I'll tell you something more, Barbara. When I'm working with him, when you're not around, he keeps talking about you, about what you would say, what you would do. You're always in his thoughts and I'd wedge a month salary you're in his heart too.'

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Meanwhile in his office DI Thomas Lynley was having a hard time filling the new form for his expense claim. Finally, after the same error message appeared on his screen for the fourth time, he requested the help of the department secretary, Dorothea Harriman.

'Honestly, Dee, they introduced this new software because the previous one was too easy to use?'

'I've been told the big cheeses hoped it would discourage people to claim expenses,' she replied with tongue in cheek.

Tommy laughed lightly.

'Can you tell me what I'm doing wrong because I don't understand why I have this error message?'

'Let me check.'

Lynley stepped a bit aside to let Dee have a better view of the computer screen. It didn't take her long to spot the problem:

'You have to indicate for each bill if you made the expense only for you or if you paid for other people too, in which case you have to put their names here.'

'For each bill?' Lynley sounded horrified. 'It'll take me the whole day!'

'You've been away less than a week, I don't think you have so many bills, Inspector.'

'I've already lost half an hour trying to understand what was required of me, I've my report to write, I've Havers' report to read, the Super wants me to brief her personally about our little travel to the Border, and I need to check with Nkata the results of his research on another case. All this before 6 because I've an appointment at the dentist's I'm not exactly looking forward to.'

'You want me to take pity and help you?'

He tried his best smile.

'Please?'

Dee sighed but surrendered.

'All right. Let me use the keyboard, you'll dictate me what I have to write.'

'Thank you so much, Dee.'

Working together, it took them less than 10 minutes to arrive at the last bill.

'Hotel night: one hundred forty-two pounds for the room and two breakfasts. I paid for Havers.'

'You paid the sergeant's room and breakfast?'

'In fact, there's only one room, we had to share.' Lynley tried to make it sound as matter-of-factly as possible.

'If this is your way to reduce the expenses, I'm not sure the Super will approve it,' Dee quipped.

'We were lost in the countryside and the hotel didn't have enough bedrooms for all the passengers of the coach. We were lucky to grab that one room. I'm sure Ardery will understand.'

Dee eyed him quizzically.

'You look like you didn't have much sleep.'

'Havers made me sleep in the bath.'

'Really? I'd swear you're too tall for that.'

'I am. Hence the lack of sleep.'

'If you say so.'

Dee didn't insist. The curt reply of the inspector had told her well enough he wasn't going to discuss his night further. In a few mouse clicks she saved the expense claim, printed two copies of it and ended the session.

'That's it. You're done, Inspector.'

'Thank you, Dee. You saved me a lot of time.'

Dee left Lynley's office with a copy of the expense claim in her hand. A few seconds later she poked her head around the door.

'One last thing, Inspector: between us, if I were you, I'd say it was Sergeant Havers who slept in the bath. Much more credible.'

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At 6:08 pm, Lynley closed the door of his office and quickly headed towards the lift. He was a bit late on his schedule but so was generally his dentist so, with a bit of luck, he would arrive before the dentist's assistant asked for him in the waiting room. From a distance he heard the ping signaling the arrival of a lift on the landing. He shouted: "Hold the lift" and ran the remaining meters.

'Thank you,' he said as he rushed inside.

'You're welcome,' Barbara answered.

The lift was crowded and Tommy had to squeeze himself between Barbara and a tall big guy who smelled as if he hadn't had a shower in his lifetime. Tommy pressed himself against Barbara; she had her nose almost on his shirt.

'Sorry.'

She merely shrugged her shoulders and commented: 'Rush hour. It's even worse in the tube.'

Finally after several stops the lift arrived at the carpark level. Were it not for the horrible scent of the man in his back, Tommy wouldn't have minded a longer ride. Barbara looked slightly uncomfortable but she had made no attempt to put more space between them. Tommy decided it was a good omen.

Tommy and Barbara were the first ones to exit. They were parked in the same area so they walked together towards their cars, lost in their thoughts.

'Fancy a pint, Sir?' Barbara asked suddenly as she stopped by her Mini.

'I'm sorry, I can't.'

'No problem.'

She looked disappointed though and Tommy didn't want her to think he didn't want her company.

'Look, I'm going to the dentist's but, maybe after…'

'No, no, don't worry, that's fine. Besides if the ivory snatcher gives you an anesthetic jab you won't be allowed to drink alcohol.'

'We can still meet somewhere; have dinner.'

That was tempting and Barbara really was tempted but her eyes met the ones of a policewoman in uniform who was chatting with two of her friends. The woman quickly diverted her gaze but Barbara heard the women giggled and she had the terrible feeling word had spread out about her night with Lynley. She'd have to kill Winston.

'Barbara?'

Barbara started.

'Sorry?'

'Sorry to insist, Barbara, but I need to hurry. So, dinner?'

'Er, no, thanks. I've things to do tonight.' _Sort the mail, do my laundry, bang my head against the wall for my stupidity…_

'Another time, then.'

'Yeah.'

'Tomorrow?'

'Tomorrow's Saturday.'

'Are you on rota this weekend?'

'No, I don't work.'

'Perfect; me neither. I'll pick you at seven. I really must go now.'

And he quickly went to his car without listening to Barbara's protest.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: Here are the third and last chapters of this story (I divided the "date" part of the story into two just to have chapters of about the same length). Thanks a lot to those of you who posted reviews; your support and encouragements are what keep me writing. Special thanks to Cats for letting me use the title of one of her fanfics (I let you find out which one I'm talking about). I hope you'll find I made a good use of it. Finally, those of you who read my previous fanfics know I usually base my writing on the books, but these chapters are based on the TV series (it does no harm just this once).

* * *

Barbara didn't sleep well that night: too many thoughts were running in her head. The memory of Tommy sleeping next to her was still too vivid and she wished they had more nights together. But this was not going to happen. Their bed sharing wasn't a romantic event but merely an accident. For Lynley it probably meant nothing more than if he had shared the bed with Winston. But he wouldn't invite Winston for dinner, would he? They had had dinner together before, even once or twice at his house in Belgravia, but it had been mostly for convenience, so they could talk about an ongoing case over a meal. This time it was different; the case was over with only the paperwork to finish, so Lynley's motivation wasn't professional. Maybe he was feeling lonely, she thought. Simon was touring universities in the USA to give some lectures on forensic science; Deborah and him had been gone for two months already and weren't due back for another couple of months. Lady Asherton was holidaying on the French Riviera; Judith was in Yorkshire and Peter was too busy at Howenstow to come and spend a few days in London with his brother. The idea of being a mere fill-in wasn't pleasant but her own social life wasn't exactly exciting at the moment and how do you say no to a nice dinner in good company? She'd just have to be careful not to drink too much. She didn't want unfortunate words such as 'I love you' to spoil the evening.

She spent the day in a state of agitation. She hated that. It was not like her but she couldn't help; she was at the same time looking forward to the evening with Lynley and fearing it. Several times she thought about calling him to cancel their evening but she reckoned he knew her too well to believe her bad excuses. He would know she'd gotten cold feet and she didn't want to give him that pleasure. He was acutely aware of the effect he had on women; no need to flatter his ego any further. She took a shower, brushed her hair the best she could and even put hairspray on them, put pink on her cheeks and green on her eyelids, removed the pink and green, added lipstick, removed the lipstick, and finally opted for the nice perfume Winston had offered her for her birthday. Classy and discreet. She had a hard time deciding on what to wear; she didn't know where Lynley would take her to dinner. Should she wear formal or casual? Lynley knew she didn't like posh restaurant so no need for the evening dress – which was good because she didn't have one – but that still left her with a lot of possibilities. She tried them all from the jogging suit _– see I'm just a woman having dinner with a pal, nothing romantic_ – to her best suit which she wore when she testified in court – _too business-like, not good for a Saturday night in town_. In the end, she decided to don the dress she had bought in a bold move some years ago and never had the courage to wear before. By 18:30 she was ready. She sat on her couch and impatiently waited for Lynley to arrive. The hands of her clock took a malign pleasure in slowing their course on the dial; it seemed seven o'clock would never come. As time went by Barbara's anxiety grew. Her stomach was in knots; her mouth, dry. She cursed herself. She felt like a teenager on the night of the school gala. Except she wasn't a teenager anymore and Lynley wasn't her escort to the ball.

He knocked on her door at seven o'clock precisely - if punctuality is the virtue of kings, it's also the one of earls. As Barbara opened the door the first thing she saw was a huge bouquet of flowers and then Lynley's bright smile. As always he was very elegant in light grey suit and tie, and a salmon pink shirt.

'Good evening, Barbara.'

'Evening, Sir.'

He frowned.

'I dare hope you're not going to call me 'Sir' this evening, are you?'

'Why not?'

 _Because we slept together_ , Lynley thought before opting for a more neutral reply:

'Because we're not at work.'

'It doesn't change anything. Thanks for the flowers, they're beautiful.'

'So are you.'

'Ta.'

'I mean it, Barbara, you are stunning.'

Barbara went to her kitchenette to put the flowers in a vase. She could feel Lynley's eyes on her and was a little embarrassed; she should have opted for jeans and a T-shirt.

Still in the entrance, Tommy couldn't take his eyes off Barbara. For once she had done her hair but above all she was wearing a red cold shoulder lace midi dress that set off her figure. It was a very beautiful dress, stylish but not sophisticated. He had never seen Barbara wearing something so feminine and he wished she had done it sooner. She was gorgeous. The dress left her shoulders, her upper arms and part of her back naked and Tommy saw that Barbara's skin was white and seemed soft. As she put the flowers in the water, he fought the urge to kiss her neck. That afternoon he had decided this evening was the evening he would tell Barbara he loved her and he had planned the evening and the night carefully but as Barbara stood against the light he noticed the linen of her dress stopped at mid-thigh and his romantic feelings were replaced at once by more carnal ones.

'Where are you going to take me?' Barbara asked innocently.

 _Any hard surface will do [1]_ , Tommy thought but he answered:

'By the canal but I won't tell you more; I don't want to spoil the surprise.'

 _Focus, Tommy, focus_.

'Good. Shall we go?'

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'Little Venice,' Barbara said as Lynley pulled his car in a parking lot.

'I thought you may like the place.'

'I do.'

They left the car and walked along Regent's canal until they reached its junction with the Grand union canal. From there they followed the Paddington arm until Tommy stopped before a restaurant, the Paddington Inn.

'Here we are.'

The restaurant was a two-storey building or rather it was the stacking of three terraces as it had no walls but only dark timbers brightened up here and there by red geraniums in window-boxes. The bar occupied the ground floor and was packed with groups of young professionals, couples and the occasional tourists. The atmosphere was lively and relaxed. Barbara felt relieved that Lynley had chosen this place and not one of the classy restaurants he was used too. She could be herself here. Tommy went to the counter and talked briefly to the barmaid. She indicated the stairs at the end of the room. Tommy went back to Barbara.

'Our table's ready.'

He had to speak louder than usual to be heard and it lifted Barbara's latest fear. One could not have a romantic dinner in a place like this - one just doesn't shout love words - so this was definitely a night out between friends.

Lynley preceded her in the stairs and they climbed to the second floor where a waiter was waiting for them. He led them to a table overlooking the canal. On this floor the noise from the ground floor was reduced to a low hubbub that didn't hinder conversation. As they reached their table, Tommy walked past the waiter to help Barbara with her chair. He then settled in his own and ordered two glasses of champagne.

'Er, I'd rather have a pint,' Barbara said.

'I thought you liked champagne,' Lynley told her, rather destabilized.

'I do but…

'No but, then' and he confirmed his order.

After the waiter has left, leaving them with two menus, Barbara decided to make things clear with Lynley.

'This place's nice and I don't want to make a fuss but I'm way passed the time when one could dictate me what to eat or drink, Sir.'

Tommy looked at her, baffled.

'I'm sorry, Barbara, I did not intend to dictate you anything.'

'But you did. And I'll end up with a glass of bubbly wine that would cost me more than two pints.'

'It won't cost you anything.'

'You mean it's your round?'

'You're my guest, Barbara.'

'So the dinner...' she eyed him suspiciously.

'Is on me, yes,' he replied with a smile.

'Good, now that's settled maybe we could have ordered a bottle of champagne, no?'

Tommy laughed.

'Have a look at the menu and if you still want champagne with your dinner, you'll have it.'

'I'm going to put your debit card on fire,' she said as she opened the menu. After a few seconds, she lowered the menu, looked at Lynley and whispered:

'There's no price on my menu.'

'That's normal.'

'No, it's not. All restaurants I ever went to had menus with prices, so you know what to expect when the waiter gives you the bill.'

Tommy smiled.

'I told you, Barbara, you're my guest so the waiter gave you a guest's menu. You don't have the prices on because you're free to choose whatever you want without taking the price into consideration.'

'How am I supposed to ruin you if I don't know what the most expensive dishes are?' she asked indignantly.

'I trust your feminine instinct.'

Barbara laughed but she was discomfited; it was not the first time that Lynley explicitly acknowledged her as a woman but it always felt at once disconcerting and nice. The waiter came back with their glasses and took their orders.

'How did I manage?' Barbara asked.

'Hmmm, about average I'd say. I won't have to sell my lands to cover the cost of your dinner but I'm glad I have more than my DI salary.'

'Does that mean I can have more champagne?'

Tommy laughed:

'You're learning fast!'

'I've a good teacher,' she replied cheerfully. 'So, what do we toast to?'

'To us; may the road ahead of us bring us happiness and joy.'

'That'd be nice.'

They clunked glasses.

* * *

[1] If you don't already know this story by Cats I encourage you to read it ;-)


	4. Chapter 4

Tommy didn't regret his choice of restaurant. The place was lovely; the food, excellent; the atmosphere, relaxed but not too casual. Above all, Barbara seemed to like it. She was a bit more talkative than usual – bless Dom Perignon who invented champagne – and she proved to be quite funny. It was nice to see her so relaxed and happy, it was so different from her usual snark. They talked a lot, laughed a lot. It amazed Tommy how things were so easy between them now after their tumultuous start as a team. When they finally left the restaurant the sun was almost set but the night was warm.

'It's a beautiful night,' Barbara said, 'not like the one when the coach broke down.; such a downpour, we were soaked through.'

'The walk under the rain wasn't pleasant but I have fond memories of that night.'

There was something in Tommy's voice that moved Barbara deeply or perhaps it was the way he was looking at her. She pulled on the bottom of the dress, uneasy.

'I don't know what's wrong with this dress, it can't stay into place.'

'I don't see what the problem is, Barbara. Your dress is beautiful and you look gorgeous in it.'

'Ta.'

A white patch on the canal caught her eyes; it was a couple of swans, majestically swimming along the bank.

'Do you want to walk?'

The question took Lynley by surprise but since a romantic walk by the banks at sunset had been his plan since the beginning he happily said yes.

They strolled along the canal amid the couples and the families who had gone there in search of a bit of calm at the heart of the city. They made way for a little boy riding his tricycle at full speed in the hope of catching up with his elder sister on her mountain bike and laughed when he finally decided to abandon his bike and run after his sister instead. They watched the sun disappear below the London skyline. They walked side by side, so close their hands sometimes brushed. Each time Tommy felt Barbara tense up slightly but each time she remained near him and never tried to put her hand out of reach. Encouraged by this observation he frankly reached out for her hand but couldn't take it for at the same time Barbara raised her arm and waved at someone.

'Hiya!'

Annoyed by the setback Tommy frowned at the two men who were approaching. To his utter disappointment he recognized Winston Nkata and Stuart Lafferty. In no time they had reached them.

'Having a romantic walk by the water?' Lafferty asked them, straight to the point.

'A digestive walk,' Barbara replied.

'Really? So you had dinner together? Things are becoming serious,' Lafferty quipped, giving Tommy a dig in the ribs. Tommy felt an irrepressible urge to punch the forensic surgeon but Barbara intervened first:

'Mind your own business, Stu, I'm not asking you if you're on a date with Winnie.'

'Because you know I'm not interested in men, Barbara, only women are worth my attention. And I must say you look fantastic in that dress; I'd love to have you on my arm. May I?'

He offered his arm to Barbara who, after a quick look at Tommy, accepted it.

'I feel like I'm the luckiest man in the world,' he said as he started strolling with Barbara.

'You're a bore,' Tommy muttered into his beard.

Winston, who had overheard him, gave him a contrite smile.

'Sorry, mate. I never meant to interrupt…'cos we did interrupt, eh?'

'I'm not sure what you interrupted Winston, maybe you just prevented me from making a fool of myself,' Lynley groaned.

It didn't seem necessary to carry on pretending, not with Winston at least. He was a friend and Tommy knew Barbara and he were close.

'No, you weren't going to make a fool of yourself. Just look at her dress! Have you ever seen her so …'?

'Sexy?'

Winston laughed.

'I was going to say feminine but you're past that already, aren't you?'

'Way past, Winnie, way past.'

But Barbara and Stuart were coming back towards them.

'Stuart says there's a club nearby with great music,' Barbara enthused.

'That's where Winnie and I were going when we met you,' Lafferty explained. 'They play only rock'n'roll, and I mean the real stuff, direct from the 50's'.

'I'd like to go there, if you don't mind' Barbara pleaded Tommy.

This damn club and its damn music were going to ruin all his plans but how could he resist? He knew Barbara's love for old rock'n'roll and he suspected she didn't often have the occasion to enjoy herself.

'All right, but you save a dance for me.'

'I'm not going there to dance! I'm not good at dancing,' Barbara protested.

'We'll see to that in time.'

The club was a leap back in time. Everything in it reflected the 50's from the decoration to the clothes of the staff. Even the cocktails bore names like Clark Gable, Marylin Monroe, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. The little group settled at a table near the bar where a barmaid looking remotely like Grace Kelly took their orders. Needless to say Barbara ordered a Buddy Holly. A group of musicians were playing rock'n'roll classics at a deafening volume to the greatest pleasure of the couples on the dance floor.

'Not your kind of dance, I suppose,' Lafferty yelled at Lynley indicating a couple with a jerk of his head.

Tommy watched the couple as they did a groundflip.

'This is not my usual ballroom dancing but next time I'll be sure to ask the Duchess of Cornwall if she wants to have a go at it.'

'Come on, Barb, time to hit the dance floor,' Winston suddenly said.

He got up and extended his hand to Barbara.

'I don't dance, Winnie.'

'Do me a favour.'

Reluctantly she got up and followed Winston. After a short time, she was enjoying herself and didn't care about the other people in the club anymore.

Lynley and Lafferty invited two women and soon the four friends were dancing to the sound of the 50's.

When the lights dimmed it was the signal for the slow dance. Tommy excused himself from his partner and went to Barbara.

'Would you do me the honour?' he asked her.

She let Winston's hand and smiled at Tommy.

'Sure.'

Barbara felt her face become crimson and hot but she was incredibly happy. Tommy was holding her in a tight embrace and he slowly lead the dance. He was a head taller than her and his chin almost rested on her head. She smelled good; he didn't know her perfume – well, he didn't remember her ever wearing perfume – and he was immensely pleased that she had decided to wear perfume for him tonight. He held her closer and she slipped her hands around his waist. Her head was resting on his chest. She could feel his heart beating and she wished they could stay like this forever. When the music stopped they didn't let go of each other and simply waited for the next song to start. They danced together until closing time, ignoring the quietly ironic air of Lafferty and the huge grin on Winston's face.

They were among the last to leave the club. It was 5 o'clock in the morning and on that Sunday morning the city was still asleep. In the half-light that preceded dawn the only noise was the birdsong. As they waited for Barbara to come out of the Ladies, Tommy offered Winston a lift as Lafferty had left the club in the middle of the night with a petite brunette but he declined:

'Thanks but you know the saying: 'Two's company…''

'Three's a crowd.' Tommy completed.

'Yeah. I think a bit of privacy is what you need at the moment.'

'What I need is my bed,' said Barbara as she joined them,' and to be rid of that dress!'

The two men exchanged a stunned look and burst into laughter.

'What?' Barbara asked them, lost. She hadn't heard the beginning of the conversation and she couldn't understand the sudden hilarity of her friends. 'What did I say?'

'The dress…' was all Winston could say before another burst of laughter.

'Yeah, the dress, so what? It's clinging to my skin with sweat and it's not nice.'

'We'll take care of that,' Tommy said, wiping away some tears from his eyes.

Winston was splitting his sides with laughter.

'I told you Winnie you drank to many Elizabeth Taylors,' Barbara chastised him to no avail.

'So…sorry,' he stammered.

Finally after another fit of giggles, he managed to put himself together and bade good bye to Tommy and Barbara.

'See you on Monday!' Barbara cried after him.

'See ya and behave yourselves, guys!' he shouted back.

'He's such a brat sometimes,' Barbara complained to Tommy who simply smiled at her.

'Time to go,' he said.

'I suppose so.'

'I thought you were longing for your bed.'

'I am but I had one, no, _the_ best night of my life. Thank you so much for this, sir.'

'Where's Tommy gone?' Lynley asked softly.

'Still in the club, I think, spinning his partner around.'

She offered him a small lopsided smile that was so sad it broke Tommy's heart. He put his arm around her shoulders and bent his head to be at level with her eyes.

'Don't be sad, Barbara; the night's not over yet.'

'The sun will prove you wrong in just a few minutes.'

'We'd better go then.'

'Where to?'

'You'll see.'

'Another surprise?'

'Yes, another one.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

'Sir, this is becoming ridiculous!'

'Just a few more steps, Havers.'

'Ah! I start complaining and it's goodbye Barbara, hello Havers!'

'You said this before.'

'Sorry if I'm repeating myself but I'm not particularly at my best wandering around blindfolded.'

'Here we are! Just in time.'

'Just in time for what?' she asked angrily.

'For that,' he whispered in her ear and took her blindfold away.

The view took Barbara's breath away.

'Oh my!'

They were on Primrose Hill and London was at their feet. The view had always been her favorite and she knew how much it meant for Tommy too. The sun was slowly rising and its first rays painted the city red and orange, putting it on fire.

'It's splendid.'

'I thought we could sit here and watch the sun rise over the city.'

'That's a wonderful idea.'

They sat on the bench, the very same bench on which she had found him two years ago after Helen's death. They watched the sun rise and the city come to life and it felt the most natural thing in the world, just the two of them in the still deserted park, an easy silence between them.

Barbara shivered and Tommy took off his jacket.

'Here, have my jacket.'

'Thanks.'

'I'm sorry I should have known you were going to be cold here after all the dancing.'

'I'm fine, honest. I'm happy to be here.'

'The last time we came it was just after Helen's death.'

'I remember.'

'I came here to hide from the world and you came and said it was all right to grieve but there was a world out there when I'd be ready. I'm ready, Barbara.'

'Glad to hear that.'

'I owe it to you… and to my love for you.'

His voice broke and she wasn't sure he'd just said he loved her but when she looked at him she saw it in his eyes.

'I never expected this to happen, Barbara. To be perfectly frank, for years I thought the idea of us being together, being an item, was so ludicrous it was laughable. I'm not laughing anymore. I love you, Barbara Havers, I love you and I want to be with you. I know you're going to say…'

'Yes.'

'Sorry?' he couldn't believe his ears.

'Yes, I said yes. I love you too.'

They stared at each other bewildered, Barbara by her boldness, Tommy by her answer.

'You love me too?'

'I thought it was obvious when we were dancing together. Actually I was terrified you'd find out and walk away.'

'Never. I simply dared not hope it was true. I needed to be sure it wasn't the champagne and the cocktails speaking.'

'Well, I reckon they helped,' she answered mischievously.

'Had I known, I would have made you drink before tonight.'

He took her hand and brought it to his lips. His kiss sent shivers down Barbara's spine. Tommy noticed her shivering but misinterpreted it.

'You're cold. Time to go back home and face the world together.'

'The world can wait for a couple of minutes, Tommy,' she replied in a husky voice and she drew him to her for a long and tender kiss.


End file.
